Pilot Light Keeps Going Out

A pilot that keeps dropping out is normally a safety component signaling that it has weakened, so call rather than lighting it over and over.

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When this becomes an emergency

The pilot drops out within seconds no matter how carefully it is lit.
The flame is small and yellow-tipped rather than a tight blue cone.
There is a rotten-egg odor around the appliance; go outside and call from there if you smell gas.
Soot marks have appeared on the metal near the pilot assembly.

What a pro does

These calls are almost never about the flame itself. The thermocouple or thermopile is the usual answer, a small sensor whose job is proving flame and holding the gas valve open, and when it weakens or sits slightly out of the flame it reports darkness and the valve closes within seconds. Venting is the second thing looked at, since a deteriorated chimney liner or a flue that was resized during a furnace replacement changes draft at the burner enough to pull a pilot out. When a gas odor is part of the picture, the appliance gas valve gets closed before anything else, and that isn't negotiable.

Frequently asked questions

Is a thermocouple a major repair?

No. It is a small sensor with one function, and a worn or misaligned one is the most common explanation for a pilot that will not hold.

How does the chimney affect a pilot light?

Draft at the burner depends on the vent. A liner that has broken down or a flue oversized for the appliance changes the air movement enough to take a pilot out intermittently.

Is it fine to keep relighting it?

Trying once or twice tells you whether it will hold. Past that you are working around a safety device that shut the gas off for a reason.

Does a yellow flame mean anything on its own?

It usually points at incomplete combustion from a dirty orifice or poor air supply, and that is worth having looked at whether or not the pilot stays lit.

Pilot Light Keeps Going Out?

Get connected with a local pro now.

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